MoDOT, local road agencies prepare for coming winter storm

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Transportation and Missouri State Highway Patrol warned drivers to be careful this weekend as a winter storm bears down on the state.

Much of Mid-Missouri was placed under a winter storm warning on Thursday. The warning starts early Saturday and lasts through 6 p.m. Sunday. Up to 8 inches or more of snow is possible, with extreme cold also in the forecast.

The high Saturday in Columbia could top out in the single digits, with lows near 0 degrees. Those low temperatures will slow down snow-clearing operations, MoDOT officials said at a Thursday news conference.

Snow will move into the Columbia area from the southwest after midnight, moving to the northeast. The highest totals are expected south of Interstate 70. Sleet is possible in far southern Missouri.

Cole County Public Works wrote in a Facebook post that a small crew will work early Saturday, with a larger crew coming in for a day shift.